


Only You

by steverogerstrash (theyvegotthisspellonme)



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, M/M, Secret Relationship, kind of, technically 5+2 but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 02:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16296368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theyvegotthisspellonme/pseuds/steverogerstrash
Summary: five times the avengers met Bucky and one time they already knew him (and one time after that)





	Only You

**Author's Note:**

> title from [Only You](https://open.spotify.com/track/7IZ7S595rr4Q3E1Zga1Jev?si=TjP8PX6FRfWYU60JlJPgsQ) by Little Mix (no it doesn't really make sense, no titles are not my strong suit)

_1._

“Steve,” Tony starts, sounding wary. “Who is this man, and why is he sitting at your kitchen table?”

“Tony, what the fuck are you talking about?” Steve sighs.

“I thought you lived alone. Everyone thinks you live alone. Rogers, what the hell?”

“Never said I lived alone. But this is James Barnes. My boyfriend.” Steve says, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. Bucky waves over his shoulder, not even looking up from the book he’s reading. Tony doesn’t say anything for a moment.

“Look, Tony, if this is a problem-” Steve starts. Tony holds up a hand, shaking his head.

“The problem, Captain Forties, is that you didn’t tell me. Who else knows?”

“Natasha, probably,” Steve shrugs. “But I haven’t told anyone, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Tony nods. He doesn’t say anything else for a moment, then sits down heavily at the breakfast bar. (Steve hadn’t known that was a thing - Bucky had picked out their apartment, saying it was perfect)

_“Come on, Stevie, it’s amazing. And,” he pauses, waiting until he knows he has Steve’s full attention, “it’s in Brooklyn. You love Brooklyn.”_

_“I do love Brooklyn.” Steve concedes. “Almost as much as I love you.” He adds, mostly to make Bucky smile in the way that Steve loves. Bucky rolls his eyes, but he can’t help the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth._

_‘“It’s not too expensive, either. Between the two of us, if I can keep finding jobs, it’s totally reasonable.”_

_“Hey, that’s not something we need to worry about. 70 some odd years of government back pay, remember?” Steve jokes. Bucky laughs._

_“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Captain.”_

“Is he okay?” Bucky asks quietly, nodding towards Tony.

“Hope so. I’ve never seen him this quiet, and never for this long.”

“Shut up, Rogers. I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that you managed to get someone so obviously out of your league to go out with you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Bucky tells him, not bothering to look up. Steve laughs at the face Tony makes.

“Flattery usually gets him anywhere. And if that doesn’t, it’s the name. ‘Stark’ usually gets him in with anyone.”

“Well I,” Bucky says primly, “could not give less of a fuck.”

That breaks Tony out of whatever weird place he’s gone in his head. He laughs, reaching out like he’s going to clap Bucky on the shoulder, then pulls back like he thought better of it. Steve just grins.

_2._

Bucky nudges the door closed with his shoulder, holding tight to Howlie’s leash. He and Steve picked him out at a shelter one time when Steve was doing the charity stuff that Stark and Pepper Potts - because the head of Stark Industries had Steve’s direct fucking phone number, what the fuck, Steve - highly recommended he do after coming out of the ice. He wasn’t little then, and he’s bigger now, but Bucky knows that neither he nor Steve would do well with a little dog.

He waves to the guy that lives across the hall, a sandy blond dude who seems to be constantly injuring himself, then goes on his way.

\--//--

“Steve!” Clint calls. “Hey, man. I saw your dog walker the other day.”

“What? I don’t have a dog walker.”

“Then who keeps walking your dog? I see him sometimes when I bring Lucky in. He kinda looks like he’s judging me.” Clint admits. Steve snorts.

“He’s definitely judging you, but he’s not my dog walker.”

“Steve, is there a strange man breaking into your apartment? Should we be concerned?”

“He’s not breaking in, Clint. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Steve, how do you even know this guy?”

_Steve had been out of the ice for a while before he bit the bullet and signed himself up for a cooking class. He couldn’t keep ordering in, the restaurants had started to recognize his number and kept asking if he wanted “his usual”. Besides, with the amount of food he needed to eat, Steve was embarrassed by the bill._

_So he made his way to the community center near his new apartment in Brooklyn, hoping to find… well, someone that could teach him how to do something other than boil vegetables._

_What he was not expecting, however, was Bucky._

_Steve had waited until a few more people - mostly young adults - had filed in before he went in the classroom. It was one of those home-ec type of rooms, with little stovetops and ovens. It was something Steve had only seen in the movies and TV shows that his teammates -_ no _, Steve reminds himself,_ they’re my friends _\- had recommended._

Bucky had come in late, muttering an apology to the instructor, a little old lady that looks like she might be as old as Steve himself, and twice as kind. The only open spot had been next to Steve’s little stove top.

“So it was love at first sight, huh?” Clint asks, only partially kidding.

“If only. He made me work for it.” Steve laughs. “But I convinced him to at least give me a chance. That was… two and half years ago? Three?” He shrugs.

“And you have a beautiful husky, and James Barnes walks him, because you live together.”

“Exactly.”

Clint nods, considering. He opens his mouth to say something else, then walks straight into the wall.

“Aw, glass, why?”

“You know, if you looked up when you walk, that would happen less often.” Steve teases. Clint snorts.

“I can retaliate now.” Clint warns. “Wait, is this… when you look down at your phone - which you didn’t want, you’re welcome - you get a gross and smiley. Steve Rogers, you huge sap.”

“You all, uh, you noticed that, huh?” Steve rubs at the back of his neck.

“Ooooh, yeah. And you’re never living it down now.” Clint stops himself from laughing, but it’s close. It’s so close.

“Actually, if you don’t mind…”

“Do people… the team doesn’t know about him.”

“No. And for now, I’d like to keep it that way.”

“You got it, dude.” Clint adds the thumbs up, but Steve just looks more confused.

_3._

Bruce is staring into his coffee when he sees Steve walk in. He shrinks down, trying his best to blend in with the chair, hoping Steve doesn’t notice him. Thankfully, he does not. In fact, as Bruce watches, Steve’s whole face lights up and he walks through the cafe - and the associated crowd, the after school rush just came in - until the reaches a brunet who seems to be brooding over a muffin. They’re far enough away that Bruce can’t get a read on the stranger, but close enough that he can hear parts of their conversation.

“Rough day?” Steve asks. Bruce hears mumbling instead of an answer. The conversation continues in that vein for a while. At one point, Steve gets up for his drink, at which point Bruce starts to work himself out of the chair cushions. He figures it’s a good a time as any to leave, if Steve is gonna notice him, it might as well be on his own terms, and makes his way towards the door.

“Dr. Banner,” Steve calls. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know. Same old.” Bruce smiles wryly. He likes Steve, he does, but the blond can really be… a lot to handle. Especially when Bruce has been up all night dealing with the other guy.

“You look well.” Steve says. Bruce knows it’s not true, but Steve has always been nicer than he should be. Probably something to do with growing up in the 40s.

“What are you doing around here?” Bruce asks, ignoring the niceties. Steve grins like he appreciates it.

“My, uh… well, my boyfriend likes the coffee here. He works down the street, and… anyway, he asked me to meet him here for lunch, so here I am.” He shrugs.

“Your boyfriend. Cool. Well, hey, good to see you, but I have to go…” Bruce trails off as his phone rings. “Ah, damn, that’s Tony. Duty calls.

“Good to see you, Dr. Banner.” Steve waves with his free hand, then goes back to the table he’d been sitting at before. Bruce waves half-heartedly. It’s not that he doesn’t like Steve, he just doesn’t look forward to dealing with any of the other Avengers on a good day, and today is… not that. He takes a deep breath before stepping outside. As he walks away, Bruce glances back inside the cafe. Steve is still sitting there, holding hands with the man he’s talking to. Bruce grins. If any of the others had found this place, he would probably be on the lookout for a new hideaway already, but he figures Steve doesn't want the others to know about it as much as Bruce himself doesn’t. Steve - and his boyfriend, to whatever extent, Bruce thinks - seems safe.

_4._

Steve had forgotten that he’d given Thor his address. The Asgardian had told him that he didn’t enjoy staying at the compound, that it felt too confined.

_“Too much like my childhood.” The god had admitted._

_“How so?” Steve asks. Thor shrugs._

_“Not in any sense that I can articulate. Just… knowing that I am not the one in charge, perhaps. You do not make me feel that way, Steven. We are friends more than we are comrades.”_

_Steve nodded,. He understood exactly what Thor was saying. They were both removed from they were supposed to be. Steve was out of his time, Thor was on an entirely different planet. Steve isn’t sure which one of them was more out of place._

“Steven!” Thor calls. There’s no immediate answer. “I know you are home. I saw your vehicle outside. I know I should have given you advance notice of my visit, but I had no way to reach you.”

Thor moves through the apartment, looking around as he goes. The walls are more decorated than the last time he was here, which is encouraging. Thor had been concerned about the Captain’s transition to his new life. He’s sure that, in turn, the Captain had worried about him as well.

And speaking of, the Captain himself is sitting on the couch with a man sitting on top of him. Steven’s hands are in this other man’s hair.

“Steven!” Thor laughs. “I knew you were here somewhere.”

“Thor. How are you?” Steve asks, pulling back from the other man.

“Not as well as you, it seems.”

“Yes. Right. Thor, this is my boyfriend, James.”

“Nice to meet you.” James says as he removes himself from Steve’s lap.

“Do not be ashamed, friends. If I had known you had company, I would have gone to Stark.”

“Nah, he’s always here.” Steve laughs. “Can I get you anything?”

“We live together.” James explains. Thor nods.

“Just a place to rest, Steven. I will stay out of your way.” The corners of Thor’s mouth twitch up in a teasing smile. Steve sighs.

“I’ll show you to the guest room, then.” He drops a kiss on James’ mouth. Thor’s smile grows.

“It is good to see you happy, my friend.”

“Thank you.” Steve leads him through the apartment. “Everything you need should be in here.”

“Thank you, friend. And congratulations. He is very attractive.” Thor adds, mostly just to see Steve turn pink. “You have chosen well.”

“I, uh… I don’t even know what to say to that. So. Good night.”

“Good night.”

\--//--

“You gave Thor a key to our apartment?” Bucky asks as Steve comes in to the kitchen. Steve blushes.

“I’m sorry. I meant to tell you. He… he doesn’t like staying with Tony.”

“Who could blame him? I’m not mad. Just… warning would be nice.”

“Yeah, it would be. Thor’s not so good at that. Also, he doesn’t believe in technology. Even I use a cellphone.”

“And I’m very proud of you for that.” Bucky teases. He crowds in to Steve’s space, backing the blond into the counter. “Now. Where were we?”

_5._

Sometimes, Sam is glad that Stark insisted he move to New York. Other times, like when Steve convinces him that they should run together at ass o’clock in the morning, he is incredibly less glad.

“Dude,” Sam calls, leaning against a tree. “You suck.”

Sam Wilson is _not_ in bad shape. In fact, it’s a minor point of pride for him. He wasn’t in the shape he was when he was in the service, but he’s now fit enough to be an Avenger. Although nothing could compare to what Steve’s got going on. That shit’s not fair.

“Not my fault, man.” Steve laughs. “You hungry?”

“Yes. Always. Especially if you’re paying, white man.”

“Thought we could just go back to my place.”

“Yes. Good idea. You just moved, right? I wanna see.”

“Not just, but recently. Come on, we’re not far.”

They make their way back through the park, talking quietly about their last mission. Steve admits that he’s thinking about scaling it back in regards to going out in the field, which Sam supports. Steve has been all hands on deck longer than Sam’s been alive, he can’t even imagine what that’s like.

“You need a break, man. Take it.” Sam finishes as Steve unlocks his apartment door.

“Yeah. And I finally feel like I have something to live for.” Steve admits. But before Sam can even begin to unpack that, he’s confronted by a shirtless man in Steve’s kitchen.

“Steve. Is he supposed to be here?” Sam asks.

“Yes.” Shirtless Man grumbles. “I thought you weren’t running today.” He says to Steve. If Sam isn’t mistaken, he’s pouting. What the fuck.

“Sam called. Sorry, Buck.” Steve leans over to kiss Shirtless Man gently on the mouth.

“Hey, Rogers. You wanna introduce us, or…?” Sam raises an eyebrow.

“Right. Sorry. This is-”

“James Barnes.” Shirtless Man interrupts. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Sam Wilson.” He reaches out a hand to shake. Barnes gives him a high five instead before he disappears deeper into the apartment.

“So. Breakfast?” Steve asks. Sam just nods. He’s not sure he’s even processing what’s going on anymore.

“So, y’all, what? Live together? He just staying over?”

“We live together. Been dating three years now.”

“Damn, Rogers, and you didn’t tell me?”

“Didn’t tell anyone.” Steve admits. He looks embarrassed. “I wanted to keep him safe.”

“I get it. That’s why no one knows who my mama is. Or my sister.”

“I figure, if no one knows who he is, bad guys won’t know who he is. But maybe it’s time for me to get out of the game anyway.”

“I’ve been saying that forever, Stevie. You listen better when he says it?” Barnes asks. He crosses back into the kitchen, thankfully wearing a shirt this time. He grabs a piece of toast from Steve’s plate.

“Hey. Make your own. I worked hard for this.”

“Shut up, you went for a run. Big deal.” But he’s already moving towards the bread that Steve left on the counter. Sam watches, somewhat awed. Steve is out here building a real life for himself. Sam should make him come in to the VA to tell people that it does actually get better. They just gotta get him out first.

_+1._

Bucky is mildly surprised when he walks in to his living room to find a slim redhead sitting on his couch. But Steve had mentioned Natasha, and how she felt at least mildly protective over Steve, like he was some kind of child. Bucky understands the sentiment.

“Natasha?” He asks. She nods. If he hadn’t been looking for it, he wouldn’t have seen it.

“James Barnes. Steve doesn’t know I’m here.”

“And I’m sure you’d like to keep it that way. Is this gonna be the shovel talk? ‘You hurt Steve, I kill you’ and all that?”

“Not quite. I’m sure you know Steve has plenty of powerful friends, and that they will find you if you fuck him up. But I’m really here to make sure you know what Steve’s been through.”

“I mean, I know as much as anyone else, and what Steve’s told me. But I don’t want to overstep with him. If he isn’t comfortable with telling me yet, or ever, then I don’t want to know.”

“Good answer.” Natasha allows. “I see why Steve likes you.”

“Which doesn’t mean that you like me.”

“Don’t need to.” She shrugs. “My opinion doesn’t matter.”

“I bet it does to Steve.”

“Maybe it shouldn’t.”

“He’s mentioned you, you know. Told me some things. About how you aren’t always sure where you stand. But he likes you. And I’m glad you’re his friend. If I can’t go out there, there has to be someone keeping his ass in line.”

“So he hasn’t told you.”

“Told me what?”

“You said you didn’t want to know.” With that, she leaves, slipping out the window.

“What the fuck?” Bucky mutters.

\--//--

“Natasha stopped by today.” Bucky mentions later, when he and Steve are getting in bed.

“Yeah? She said she was going to.”

“She said there was something you’re not telling me.”

“The only reason I haven’t is because I wanted to see if I could make it happen first. But I’m scaling back my role in the field. Significantly fewer missions. I… it’s time. I want to be here. With you.”

“Oh. Well. That’s not what I thought you were going to say. I’m glad that’s it. But are you sure? I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. Here, with you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Stevie.” Bucky leans over and presses a kiss to Steve’s lips.

They lay there for a moment, content in each others’ arms.

“Marry me.” Steve says. “Buck, I love you so much. Marry me. Please.”

“That was the worst proposal in history, so you’re lucky I love you so much. Yes, Steve. I’ll marry you.”

_+2_

Steve lets out a nervous breath as he pulls at his sleeves. It feels like they’re too tight, but he knows it’s just nerves.

“You good, man?” Sam asks. Steve jerks his head up.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. Nervous. Excited. I don’t even know.”

“I hear that’s normal. But it’s your day. And I appreciate the invite. I know the others wish they could be here too.”

“Saving the world should be a priority.”

“Nah, not today. You’re getting married, Rogers. That should be the priority. But Stark said they’ll be here for whatever they can get here for. And Barton refused to go, said he wouldn’t miss it.”

“Clint’s a great guy.”

“Yeah, he is. The team is happy for you, man. And not just because you’re marrying your boy. Because you got out, too. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“Now, it’s time for you to get married.”

And halfway through the ceremony, the other Avengers come in with all the subtlety of a clumsy elephant. Steve wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> follow/yell at/prompt me on [Tumblr](Http://www.steve-rogers-trash.tumblr.com)


End file.
